The 2015 collection of The Journey Prize Stories was a great look at some of the relationships and interactions that make up the human condition. It also provide and great introduction to some new writers that will hopefully continue their craft and allow us to interact with their writings in the future.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/neuzglv ( )

The annual compilation of the best fiction from Canada’s many literary journals and magazines is always something to look forward to. Although the selection is often variable, subject to the whims of a different set of selectors each year and fickle literary taste, there are usually a few stories that stand out above the crowd. This year was maybe not the best of years. I don’t know why. Many of the selections seemed filled with the same tropes, similar fascinations, almost as though they’d been written to the ‘Canadian literary journal’ formula. Maybe it is because nearly all of the writers have come out of MFA programmes, which might tend towards a certain conformity. Or maybe this just does reflect the state of writing in Canada over the past year (though I rather think it more likely that it reflects the state of journal editor decision making). Alas.

One of the stories that I found satisfying was Anna Ling Kaye’s “Red Egg and Ginger”. Set in Hong Kong, it is a story of family, divided loyalty, bi-racial love, and existential choice. I was heartened to learn that it eventually was selected as a runner-up for the Journey Prize. The prize-winning story, Deirdre Dore’s “The Wise Baby” was also fascinating though it didn’t grab me as much. I find it hard to take reference quotes from Heidegger seriously either in the original or when studded into a cake of fiction. But maybe that’s just me.

Even though I didn’t find much here to enjoy, I think it is worthwhile to continue reading the Journey Prize compilations. And there’s always next year. ( )

just getting back to canadian short stories ( )